School started

 The first day of school, I was watching Alexis Schauers, daughter of Aaron and Amy Schauers, because her mom was having a baby! She is a 4 year old bucket of fun. We played barbies, jumped on the tramp, visited the neighbor boy who is also 4, ate snacks, played with the gerbil, folded laundry, drew chalk pictures outside, and painted nails twice! Her sister Ava Luann was born successfully that evening, but she was delivered up at the U of U hospital so I haven't met her yet but can't wait to see her! Aunt Wendy picked up Lexi and took her to see her sister.

 

So that is partly why I didn't take any pictures on the first day of school. That, and Savanna is in Jr High now and leaves at 7:30 in the morning when the other two are rubbing sleep from their eyes. Also I was having stress about the sudden knowledge that a bus was servicing our area now, which no one seemed to be notified about, (is this for real or what?) and carpool was dissolving. The problem other than it was not publicized to anyone, was that to qualify to ride the bus you have to live 1.5 miles away from the school, and we live 1.4 miles away. But most of the people I do carpool with do qualify, so me and my immediate neighbors on the other side of the 1.5 land line were doing research and petitioning to be able to use the bus as well. It all ended up working out fine, there was plenty or extra room for us non-qualifies on the bus, and the department of transportation and the bus driver were willing to allow my kids to come aboard. But it did cause a little extra hecticness that first morning figuring it all out. I took a picture of Fiora and Weston on their first bus ride the second day of school. Its a novelty now, today the third day of school they left 20 minutes earlier than necessary to make sure and get on the bus this morning! 

Fiora so far likes her advanced learning class, she has been keeping up with homework and likes the friends she is making in that class. She also likes her teacher who Savanna has been determined to make her believe is scary and strict and mean because she teaches ALL.

Savanna was very excited for jr high during the summer, but when we went to "back to school night" she became a little disenchanted. The school was bigger, the student body was bigger, there were no individual teachers to give her special one on one attention, she had 8 classes to keep track of and remember where they were, no recess, more rules, and lots of self conscious peers looking at her. This is the beginning of the big leagues! She did ok the first day, she seemed excited about drama class and got her lengthy math homework done after school. But the second day was one frustration after another, she got tripped and fell down and bruised her elbow, her orchestra teacher is "mean and scary and strict" and she had no friends in her classes, she felt overwhelmed at the thought of doing all the homework required and didn't finish the homework given her that day so she'll be backed up already. She pleaded with me to take her out of orchestra, but I feigned that she is stuck until at least 8th grade so she will have to quit then (and hopefully she will change her mind by then). I don't think she will be able to keep her private lessons though unfortunately. She spends all her time in the morning primping and getting ready, there has been no practicing at all this week. She will settle into a groove, I'm sure there will be good days and bad for all my kids, but they are smart and strong and will figure it out, or fail and learn something in the process. :)